Continental margin
A zone separating the emergent continents from the deep sea bottoms
Continental shelf
A broad, gently sloping, shallow feature extending from the shore to the continental slope
Continental slope
A relatively steep, narrow feature paralleling the continental shelf; the region in which the steepest descent of the ocean bottom occurs
Demulsibility
The resistance of an oil to emulsification, or the ability of an oil to separate from any water with which it is mixed. The better the demulsibility rating, the more quickly the oil separates from water
Desalter
The desalter mixes the hydrocarbon stream with a small amount of fresh water (e.g. 10% by volume) forming a water-in-oil emulsion. The resulting emulsion is subjected to an electric field wherein the water is coalesced as an under flow from the upper flow of a relatively water-free, continuous hydrocarbon phase. The desalted hydrocarbon stream is produced at relatively low cost and has a very small residual salt content. The performance of this unit can be improved with a demulsifier, such as Alken 860 Demulsifier.
